Remarks by minister Van der Steur, Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience Europe conference

Toespraak | 02-03-2016

Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to The Netherlands!

It is truly an honor to have you all here today. This is the 3th year this conference on Critical Infrastructure Protection and Resilience takes place. And just like last year, the city of The Hague has the honor of hosting this event. The governmental heart of the Netherlands. Home to more than 400 security businesses, that employ over 13.000 people. And a city located near the sandy beaches of the Dutch coast.

For centuries, this coastline witnessed terrible floods. Let me take you back to 1570, the year of the disaster, now known as the Flood of All Saints. On November 1st 1570, a severe storm raged along the English Channel. All along the Dutch coast, dikes collapsed. Land was flooded. And entire villages were swept away.

When the storm subsided, over two thousand people had died. Ten thousand men, woman, and children were left homeless. And looters had robbed farms, shops, and houses, while pretending to look for survivors.

Just a few years before this flood, the Dutch provinces had started to revolt against the rule of the Spanish empire. Their discontent was increased by the misery that the flood caused.

And it is learned by some historians, ladies and gentlemen, that the Flood of All Saints was one of the triggers that turned a revolt of rebels into a full war of independence that would last for eighty years.

A war, by the way, in which many Dutch victories were achieved because rebels opened sluice gates or damaged dikes.

Causing the areas surrounding the cities to flood, and making a Spanish siege impossible.

Now, ladies and gentlemen, my point being?

We cannot look away from the fact that natural disaster, human conflict, and the loss of innocent lives are more often than not intertwined.  

And that is exactly why we are here today.

Today, more than ever in our recent history, the safety of our countries, our cities, and our citizens, is challenged by new and complex threats. Today, more than ever, our societies are increasingly dependent on vital and critical infrastructure. And today, more than ever, failure or disruption is becoming less and less accepted.

This means the risk of a severe disruption of society is growing. Whether the cause is a natural disaster, a technical problem, or a terrorist attack.

Over the past year, we have seen massive flooding in the UK. Horrible terrorist attacks in France. And a growing number of asylum seekers, who are desperately trying to find safer grounds in Europe. This is causing concern, tensions, and even mistrust amongst the people of Europe.

And in times of turmoil, we need the foundation of our societies to be strong. And our foundation lies within our critical infrastructure.

We have to make sure that the food on our plates, the water from our faucets, and the money on our online bank accounts, are protected against every threat we can imagine.

In my view, there is only one way to do this:

By strengthening partnerships.

Between countries and between continents. Between governments and private companies and NGO’s. And between professionals and academics.

I am convinced that today’s program is a big step in the right direction, when it comes to building these partnerships.

Ladies and gentlemen,

Let me put emphasis on 3 essential parts of the Dutch philosophy on safeguarding our national security.

First, we have 3 national strategies in place to protect critical infrastructures.

A National Safety and Security Strategy, which is our translation of the EU legislation on the civil protection mechanism.

We analyze threats and risks, we focus on capabilities that need to be strengthened, and we ensure the continuity of critical infrastructure.

A Counterterrorism Strategy, in which we analyze, hinder and counter terrorist threats. And a Cyber Security Strategy, in which we strengthen the continuity of our information infrastructure.

A 2th part of our philosophy on safeguarding our national security is that we need to keep moving forward as the world around us is also continuously changing.

That is why, for example, we regularly update our views on critical infrastructure. It is important to have one comprehensive and up-to-date list of the critical processes of the Netherlands.

Cyber security and information infrastructures is one of the domains where continuous policy development is necessary.

A good example is the evolving character of cyber crime, as cyber criminals constantly find new business models.

These days, we see a rise in cryptoware and ransomware, which hackers use to charge you money to let you enter your own data. So as a government we have to keep adjusting our strategies.

And, the final part of the Dutch philosophy is that we constantly prepare for things that can go wrong.

Luckily, in the Netherlands, we have few incidents when it comes to critical infrastructure.

But because of this, the impact on society can be severe when it does happen.

We noticed this last year. On the 27th of March, the area of Amsterdam was struck by a power outage. Hospitals, subways, trains and even Schiphol Airport went down for several hours. Even though the disruption was relatively small, the impact on society was enormous. Medical procedures had to be postponed. Companies suffered financial losses. And because the airport was down, other countries suffered delays and financial damage as well.  

Ladies and gentlemen,

We live in a risk society. We need to stay aware of this fact. And we need to be prepared that risks sometimes become reality. That is why training and exercising is an essential part of our policy.

Ladies and gentlemen,

There is one thing I haven’t told you about the Flood of All Saints in the 16th century:

It was the first time in the Netherlands that there was a pre-warning for such a natural disaster.

A local council had issued a statement, warning for an extremely high flood. It had little effect. But nevertheless, it shows that our societies refuse to wait and see what happens when disaster strikes. It shows that governments take responsibility.

After the flood, warning calls improved. Dikes were made stronger. And emergency procedures were written.

It shows that we all, governments,  agencies and private companies, can do something in times of danger. It shows that we are not empty-handed.

And it shows that we have the power, and the means, and the ambition, to arm ourselves. Whether it is against natural disaster or human conflict.

This ambition manifests itself by your presence here today. To protect our countries, our cities, and our citizens. To arm the foundations of our societies against new and complex threats. And to strengthen our partnerships.

I wish you all a very successful conference.

Thank you very much.